1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to exercise equipment. More specifically, the invention relates to exercise equipment that enables the user to enjoy resistance training and/or rehabilitation while performing the various sporting activities for which the user is training in the first place, also known as functional resistance training.
2. Description of Related Art
Physical fitness is extremely important to a growing segment of the population. As the public becomes increasingly aware of already-known benefits of exercise, more and more people are exercising, in a variety of different ways. Some lift weights, some take yoga or similar classes, others run, bike, or pursue other cardiovascular activities. Some people enjoy combinations of all of the above.
Professional athletes and serious amateur competitors exercise quite often. One can develop one's skills in a sport by performing exercises that duplicate or simulate the motions required to perform that sport. For example, a baseball player might swing an extra-heavy bat or a weighted bat to develop stronger oblique muscles; that way, when called upon to swing a regular-weight bat during a game, the batter is well-equipped to crush the ball.
However, there are a lot of sports that involve a number of different movements for which there is no relevant equipment like a bat. In football, for example, wide receivers and running backs need to be able to run quickly and powerfully while holding/protecting the football. In boxing, the boxer must develop a whole slew of muscles and skills. Athletes need to be able to perform the activities of their sports in a practice or exercise setting while keeping their hands unencumbered by holding weights or the like. Additionally, when athletes or would-be athletes injure themselves, it is often extremely helpful and necessary for the injured person to undergo physical therapy to recover fully.
A field of physical fitness training and therapy has developed to address these needs, called functional resistance training. In functional resistance training, the person attempts to perform the movements and routines of his or her sport or activity, however some form of weight or load is added to the person to impede or retard the person's progress. For example, some people wear ankle or wrist weights when they jog, run, or box. These have the deleterious effect of interfering with the user's natural gait and movements, particularly because the additional weight is concentrated at the remote ends of the person's limbs. Others wear weighted vests which, unlike ankle and wrist weights, distribute the additional load much more evenly over the body. However, weighted vests also tend to put more strain on the wearer's back, knees, and other joints. Some athletes will also attempt to run while dragging a heavy item such as a cinderblock. Since it can be difficult to drag a cinderblock along the ground, weights are commonly placed on a sled fitted with runners or the like so that the load has less frictional resistance with the ground but still provides a selective amount of weight for the user to drag around. A further option includes attempting to run while wearing a device that provides significant air resistance, such as a parachute or a sail.
In addition to the above-mentioned deficiencies with conventional functional resistance equipment, all of the above suffer from a common, major problem: they only provide resistance in substantially one direction. Ankle, wrist, or vest weights only provide resistance in a straight downward direction, owing to gravity. This downward pull does not lend significant resistance to movement in any direction other than up. The sled or parachute serves only to pull the user backward, and only at the torso where it is usually attached.
It is possible to exercise while submerged in water; the water provides much more resistance to movement than does air. However, it is impractical to use water for motion resistance for many activities, such as those where one's arms go above one's head (as the water level would have to be over the head of the person), or running (as the activity would be very slippery), or for physical rehabilitation in general. Of course, using water for motion resistance also requires a pool, which by itself, is extremely limiting.
Accordingly, there is a long-felt need to provide a functional resistance exercise device or system that will actually provide resistance to the user's movements regardless of the direction of the movement, in substantially any location or setting.